Imagining Murder in the South Downs
Most people enjoy a scenic drive through the South Downs. So did I, until I started imagining murder around every corner.
As an Environmental Health Officer, I spent years travelling between food hygiene inspections across the South Downs in East Sussex. My work took me to quaint villages, bustling tearooms, cliffside cafés, and countryside pubs.
But instead of admiring the view, I was imagining murders.
A tearoom nestled in a tranquil village? The perfect place for a murder. A hedgerow by a quiet country lane? Ideal for hiding a body. And with each journey, these images grew – until one day, I pulled over, grabbed my notebook, and started writing.
I had no idea this moment would mark the birth of the Downland Murder Mysteries – a crime series where idyllic settings hide deadly secrets. The idea of an ordinary person, solving complex murders, led to the creation of the Downland Murder Mystery series, currently standing at 10 novels.
And like Colin Dexter, who used the dreaming spires of Oxford to such great effect in Inspector Morse, I wanted the setting to be an integral part of the stories.
And my website.
The banner images on my website feature real locations from the novels – places where mystery and murder unfold against a stunning natural backdrop.
Coastguard Cottages, Cuckmere Haven
.JPG?size=md)
On the East Sussex coast, where the Cuckmere River reaches the sea, lies a beautiful shingle beach, flanked by the white cliffs of the Seven Sisters to the east. On a chalk escarpment to the west, the Coastguard Cottages overlook Cuckmere Haven.
Revenue or Customs Officers once occupied these cottages, watching and waiting for smuggling gangs to arrive and move their contraband inland along the Cuckmere River. Smuggling was big business in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Local people from every inland hamlet would take part in this lucrative business.
One of these gangs had their base in Alfriston, a village a few miles inland from the coast. When I researched a little more, I learned about their methods, hidey holes and the tunnels they used to distribute contraband.
This history played a part in No Remorse, as Kent Fisher investigates a modern-day murder with links and insights into the area's smuggling past.
Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters
This dramatic stretch of coastline is one of my favourite places. Owned by the National Trust, Birling Gap sits between the towering chalk cliffs of Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters. The old hotel, now a visitor centre and café, had one of the kitchens I regularly inspected over the years.
Kent Fisher shares my love for this windswept location. It appears throughout the series, most notably during a tense clifftop climax in No Escape.
To ensure complete accuracy and atmosphere, I visited Birling Gap at dusk, watching as the cliffs darkened and the landscape turned eerie. It’s not a place you’d want to explore after nightfall, but it’s perfect for a murder mystery.
The South Downs from Arlington
Though I’ve had ideas to use Arlington Reservoir in the Downland Murder Mysteries, the views across to the South Downs remain stunning.
Arlington features in several books, mainly as a place to travel through on narrow country lanes. The pub and church remain at the heart of the village, while not far away in Caneheath, we have the farm turned industrial estate where Kent Fisher first meet Freya Layman in No More Lies. The estate has more connections to the murder and features in the thrilling climax to the story.
A mile down the road is the farm where I first met Harvey, the inspiration for Columbo, Kent Fisher’s Westie. Harvey was one of four cute pups, who followed their mother out of a barn. When the mother swung to the left, Harvey, the leading pup, went off on his own. My wife turned to me and said, “I know which puppy you’re going to choose.”
St Mary’s Church Friston
This flint constructed church resides at the top of the hill on the A259 coast road as it rises out of East Dean village. Having an outside tap by the entrance gate, the church became a vital refreshment stop during Sunday morning runs across the South Downs. We would refill our water bottles and take a brief rest, before continuing on our way.
A funeral at the church opens No Bodies, the second novel in the Downland Murder Mystery series. A little later in the novel, Kent and his assistant Gemma run from the church to visit Colonel Witherington, whose wife has disappeared.
As well as being a pretty church, the views over East Dean and the Downs are spectacular.
Tiger Inn, East Dean
This well-known pub on the village green is a favourite with locals and visitors from the surrounding areas. During sunny summer days and evenings, customers filled the bench seats and tables outside and spill across the village green.
In No Remorse, Kent Fisher chose the pub as a place to meet Louise, a receptionist at a luxury care home that overlooked the village. This gave me a chance to share the convivial charm of this traditional country pub.
You probably don’t need me to tell you I inspected the kitchen many times over the years.
Though the settings highlight the breath-taking beauty and nature of the South Downs, they’re also fascinating places to visit, should you ever venture into East Sussex.
One day, there may be Kent Fisher walks and tours you can take.
Check out the full Downland Murder Mystery series here.
Or join my exclusive Readers Group to get behind-the-scenes insights and updates.